On Thursday, Wall announced that he’s retiring from politics after a decade in office.

Wall, one of just two Conservative premiers, has been particularly vocal about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s plan to force provinces to price carbon. Wall’s absence would make Scheer the most prominent voice railing against carbon pricing.

Conservative strategist and vice-chair of Summa Strategies Tim Powers said that with Wall stepping down, Scheer steps up in the hierarchy of Conservative leaders across the country.

“It creates an opening for Andrew Scheer, who’s also from Saskatchewan, because I think you would have to say Brad Wall was the dean of Conservative politicians,” said Powers.

With Wall and Stephen Harper off the scene, said Powers, there will be a “reshuffling of the order” which will create an opening for Scheer to speak out on a lot of the issues Wall championed, like resource development and the economy.

On CBC’s Power and Politics Thursday, NDP commentator Brad Lavigne, a principal at Counsel Public Affairs, called Wall a “leading voice” for Conservatives during the federal party’s leadership race. Before — and during — the race, it was rumoured that Wall was interested in running.

“[Wall] would be the one who would step out in the spotlight and speak for Conservatives writ large, so he almost had that post,” Lavigne said.

Susan Elliott, a Conservative strategist with Catalyst Management and Communications Inc., said in an email that Wall held a lot of respect among Conservatives and was “at the top of the totem pole.”

She said Wall’s political successes — defeating the NDP, winning three elections and turning Saskatchewan’s economy around — contributed to his popularity, so Scheer has work if he wants to command the same kind of respect.

“I think Scheer still has to earn his spurs before he would wear Wall’s level of respect.”

Over in Alberta, added Elliott, any one of the people running to lead the United Conservative Party — Jason Kenny, Brian Jean, Jeff Callaway and Doug Schweitzer — would rise to the senior ranks of Conservatives nationally if the UCP defeats the NDP government of Premier Rachel Notley in 2019.